Chicken Apple Winter Salad (Print Version)

A colorful salad blending apples, chicken, pecans, and fresh greens with a tangy cider dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 crisp apples (Honeycrisp or Gala), cored and sliced
03 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or romaine)
04 - 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
05 - 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
06 - 1/4 cup dried cranberries
07 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

→ Apple Cider Dressing

09 - 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
10 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or jar. Whisk until thoroughly blended and set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, mix salad greens, chicken, apple slices, celery, pecans, dried cranberries, red onion, and feta cheese if using.
03 - Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently to ensure even coating of all components.
04 - Transfer salad to serving plates and garnish with extra pecans or feta as desired. Serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It uses what you already have and turns it into something you actually crave.
  • The crunch and tang wake up your taste buds when everything else feels heavy.
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes infinitely better.
02 -
  • Dress the salad right before serving or the greens will wilt and lose their snap.
  • If your apples are browning too fast, toss them in a little lemon juice before adding them in.
  • Taste the dressing before you pour it, everyone's vinegar and honey are different and you might need a pinch more salt.
03 -
  • Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes before adding them, it deepens their flavor and makes them even crunchier.
  • Use a mix of sweet and tart apples if you have them, the contrast makes every bite more interesting.
  • If you're making this for a crowd, double the dressing and serve it on the side so people can add as much as they want.
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